Driving Innovation & Excellence in Outsourced Biologics Manufacturing

Christopher Pawlak, Ph.D., had almost 2 decades in leadership position managing External Manufacturing and CDMOs in Pharmaceutical markets all over the globe. He oversaw global supplier management, external manufacturing operations, and strategic partnerships across the company’s biopharmaceutical network, manage finance of external manufacturing network. With over two decades of experience in pharmaceutical supply chain and procurement, he has led initiatives to enhance supplier performance, drive operational efficiency, and foster intercultural collaboration in global manufacturing.

In addition to his industry leadership, Dr. Pawlak serves as a lecturer and Executive Council member at the St. Gallen Integrated IMT Business School, reflecting his ongoing commitment to education and executive development. He is widely recognized as a thought leader in strategic supplier management, intercultural collaboration, and biomanufacturing innovation. 

Mr. Eoin McGrath is the Executive Director of ICCBBA, formerly known as the International Council for Commonality in Blood Banking Automation, since March 2022. ICCBBA develops and maintains the international ISBT 128 standard for terminology, coding, traceability and labelling of medical products of human origin (MPHO). He previously worked as Director of Advocacy & Quality of Care at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) where he led the pioneering JACIE Accreditation programme and coordinated EBMT's interactions with European Union agencies, national regulators and other stakeholders.

He coordinated EBMT's successful efforts to achieve a qualification opinion by EMA on the EBMT cellular therapy registry and regularly interacted with European regulators in the field of cell therapies.

He holds a BA in History from Trinity College, Dublin.

Leah Pickering is an accomplished supply chain leader with over a decade of global experience across the pharmaceutical sector. Currently Head of Supply Chain Research at HASH, her work is funded by the UK's Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), driving forward research and development of safeguarded AI solutions for biopharmaceutical supply chains and manufacturing.

Prior to joining HASH, Leah held a series of influential roles at AstraZeneca, including Global Planning Process Leader and Distribution Area Lead, where she drove major transformation programmes, led international teams, and embedded lean capabilities across global operations.

Her work is rooted in a passion for innovation and data-driven decision-making, underpinned by deep cross-functional expertise gained in roles spanning manufacturing, quality assurance, logistics, and global supply chain management. She holds an MSc in Supply and Logistics Management from Warwick Business School and a BSc in Applied Psychology from Cardiff University.

Dr. Toby Proctor is an accomplished biochemical engineer specializing in the scale-up and manufacturing of advanced cell and gene therapies. Holding an Engineering Doctorate in Biochemical Engineering from UCL and an MSci in Human Biology from the University of Birmingham, he brings deep technical expertise and academic rigor to his leadership in MSAT.

Toby has previously led innovation in manufacturing science at Achilles Therapeutics—where he contributed to key process and platform development for autologous T cell therapies, including securing patents in CMC innovation. He began his career in research and teaching roles at UCL, focusing on bioprocess optimization and downstream processing strategies for cell-based therapies.

Gwladys Mabonzo is an accomplished pharmaceutical leader with over 14 years of experience spanning production, quality, and external manufacturing. As Associate Director of External Manufacturing for Vaccines at MSD, she plays a key role in managing contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and ensuring the seamless execution of technical transfers and validations across toxicological, clinical, and commercial stages.

Her career has encompassed leadership roles in both sterile manufacturing and aseptic production environments, with expertise in filling, lyophilization, and environmental monitoring for biologics and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). She has led diverse, multicultural teams and brings a strong foundation in GMP compliance, being a certified GMP auditor with a deep understanding of EU GMP, ICH, and FDA regulatory frameworks.

20+ years driving operational transformation in pharma/biotech, optimising E2E processes (S&OP, network design, product launch) through data integration, digital tools, and cross-functional collaboration. Proven success in change management, cost reduction, supplier management, tech transfer leader for drug product (aseptic processes), and M&A integration within complex matrix environments. Focused on building scalable, patient-centric supply chains. Adept at balancing functional priorities with enterprise strategy while influencing stakeholders at all levels. Passionate about leveraging AI and advanced analytics to enhance decision-making and operational agility. Let’s connect to discuss the future of intelligent pharma operations.